As You Wish

"Thanks, Luke," she gave him a tired smile.

"Energy food," he mumbled and sat down across from her, with his own plate, his heart beating faster at the sight of her smile.

"I can certainly use it. Long shift today, but we should get lots of tips." Cassie paused for a moment while she took a bite of salmon. "Luke, this is fantastic."

He visibly coloured and Cassie noticed. "Thanks." Luke did not look up, instead focussed on his fork. He felt so foolish.

After a few big sips of her smoothie, Cassie went back out to the front, checking on her tables. Five minutes later, Luke was finished his food and started on a new order when Cassie came back to finish her dinner. She studied him when he cooked, his leanly muscled arms, the way his jeans hugged his tight ass, in fact everything about him was tight. It was the way he carried himself, like he never relaxed. Cassie was sure this was because of things that happened when he was younger and she wished she could just hug him. Hugging Sal was easy, it didn't mean anything, but hugging Luke...that was an impossibility and would mean so much more.

The drunken frat boys came in at eleven thirty. The three of them must have been kicked out of wherever they had been before, but so far they weren't too much trouble. One had a backwards hat and curly brown hair, the second was a taller blonde, and the third was a kind of muscular guy with dark hair, and all three were kind of drunk, but not too sloppy. They ordered a pile of greasy food and shakes, made some ridiculously cheesy comments, but were relatively friendly although a little loud. At midnight, they insisted on doing a countdown, which was fine, but then they took it a bit too far and tried to grab Cassie to help celebrate.

"No! Thanks, but that's enough." Cassie said loudly. The tall blonde held her order pad that he had nabbed from her apron and held it above his head, ransoming it for a kiss, while the muscular guy was holding her back, arms circling her waist. Backwards hat guy was sitting at the table capturing everything on his camera phone. A few of the other patrons looked on, calling for them to stop, while a few laughed.

Luke heard the commotion and stepped out of the kitchen, rolling pin in hand. "Are we having trouble here boys?" he said evenly in a gruff voice with a scowl. He could see the look on Cassie's face, she was truly upset and Luke was furious. "Give the lady back her things, then leave. Oh and pay your bill first, with a tip."

"Fine, freak, we don't want any trouble," the one holding Cassie spat out, releasing her.

"Come on, Ty, let's go." the tall one tossed Cassie's pad at her and made towards the door.

"Not so fast," Luke said. "Pay. Your. Bill."

"This ought to cover it." The guy filming everything put his phone away, stood and tossed a crumpled fifty on the table, then strode to the door with his friends. They left jeering and cursing as they walked out.

Luke turned and calmly walked back into the kitchen, rage radiating off him in waves. He needed to punch something, instead he made biscuit batter for the following morning. It would save the breakfast cook some time and it would save Luke from getting arrested.

Once the excitement died down, the rest of the customers finished up pretty quickly, and because they felt sorry for Cassie, left good tips. As shaken as Cassie was, she just continued on with her job. There would be time to cry later. She cleared and cleaned the tables, filled the napkin dispensers, swept the floor and cleaned out the coffee pots. All without shaking, crying, or collapsing, even though she wanted to.

Counting her tips, she made up Luke's envelope. It was a good night money-wise, and Cassie slipped in a little extra to thank him for coming to her rescue. The rest she stuck in her pocket. Putting on her coat, hat and scarf, Cassie made a decision—this was the last time she was going to ask because she didn't like getting shot down, but tonight she thought something might be different.

"Luke, would you like a drive? It looks a little cold and there's probably lots of crazies out." She handed him his envelope and he put it in his pocket.

As much as Luke needed the walk to cool off, he really wanted the ride, really wanted to be near Cassie. Plus, if he turned her down, she might not ask again. "Sure."

Cassie was pleasantly surprised, "Great. Are you ready?"

"I'll just be a second." Luke wanted to double check the kitchen and had to get his jacket.

"I'll go warm up the car."

Cassie slipped out the front door and turned to her car. Something about the way she moved caught Luke's eye. It seemed off. Almost like she was jerked away from the door. It took him a second to process everything, then fear sliced through him as he exploded out the door and ran to the parking lot.

Voices were swirling around Cassie's head, "Hold her down." "Let me get in the bitch's pants." "Where's your freak to save you now?"

Cassie was pushed against the hood of her car, bent over. The muscular guy from earlier was holding her down, another was trying to tear off her pants, and the backwards hat guy was, again, capturing the moment on his phone.

"Let. her. go." Luke said evenly, pointedly, controlled, even though he was outnumbered.

"Fuck you, Freak." But they did let her go. Cassie grabbed her coat around her. Her shirt was torn and bra exposed.

"Get in the car, Cassie. Lock the door. Drive away," Luke told her.

The three drunks circled Luke.

Cassie's sense of dread increased tenfold, Luke was in trouble, "No! Leave him alone."

"Get in the car Cassie," Luke's voice was calm and cold.

"Better listen to him Cassie, it's the last thing he's ever going to say to you. And then we'll still fuck you." The tall blonde flipped out a knife.

Cassie's eyes widened in terror as she fumbled for her cell phone, dialling 9-1-1. Her fingers couldn't move fast enough and her heart was pounding. The noise of her phone drew the attention of the backwards hat guy and he turned to move towards her. Luke saw the movement towards Cassie and, forgetting about the other two guys or his own safety, moved towards hat guy to protect her. The two other guys took advantage of Luke's turned back and use that opportunity to jump him. The blonde with the knife kicked out Luke's knees while the muscular guy started to pummel Luke in the head. Luke crumpled to the pavement from the kick to his knees and threw his arms up to prevent the blows to his head from reaching their mark.

"Get in the car, Cassie!" Luke managed to yell one last time as he started to fight back, fury ignited, fists flying. He head butted one guy and swung wildly at another. He just wanted her safe. He could take this, he'd taken worse, but Cassie had to be okay—needed to be okay.

"Rick, fuck the bitch, help us," and just like that the wrath of all three focused on Luke.

"9-1-1, what is your emergency?" said a disembodied voice.

Cassie managed to get in the car and lock the door while screaming into the phone, "They're going to kill him. Please come. Please."

"Where are you miss?"

"Starlight Diner, right by campus."

"On our way."

"There are three people attacking my friend. Please hurry." Cassie tried to keep a level head but the scene through her car window was terrifying. Although Luke held his own initially, the three together managed to overpower him and were taking turns kicking him. Luke was turtled on the ground, and Cassie wasn't sure where the knife was. "Where are you? He's going to be killed!"

"Cars should be right there." the voice says, just as Cassie saw the telltale cherry lights flashing, coming closer.

"I see them." So did the attackers. They ceased their assault, fleeing, leaving Luke laying prone and lifeless on the ground. Cassie sprang from the car and dove towards Luke. "He's still breathing, but he's not moving." She took his hand and held it, but felt completely helpless, terrified, and ill.

Two cop cars raced into the parking lot, stopping just short of Luke's injured body.

"An ambulance is on it's way. What happened?" One of the officers questioned.

Cassie's looked up, tears streaming down her face. "Three guys were drunk and they left the restaurant awhile ago. They jumped me in the parking lot, and Luke saved me."

"Ah shit, Luke? Luke Cavanaugh?" The burly officer asked, squinting at the wounded man.

"I—I don't know. He's a cook and a student. He's my friend." Cassie was embarrassed. How could she not know something as simple as his last name?

"Social work?" he questioned.

"Yes."

The officer turned to his partner, face pale with dread, "He's one of Bryan's—he's like our son. He's a good kid, I promise."

"He is good, Officer, I swear it," Cassie cried, unsure of the exchange between the officers, but worried Luke was facing arrest—if he survived. "There was a knife, they had a knife. I don't know where it is."

Nausea overtook Cassie as the reality of everything set in; she stumbled to the frozen grass before throwing up. As she retched, the ambulance pulled in, and Cassie hoped they were fast enough. The burly officer moved closer to Cassie to ensure she was okay, and the simple act of holding her caused her resolve to collapse in it's entirety.

"I'm Officer Charles, and they're going to do everything they can, I swear it." He guided her back to the ambulance, tears clouding her vision.

Luke was quickly assessed and put on a stretcher. Cassie also needed to be taken to the hospital just in case, so she rode in the back of the ambulance with Officer Charles. The ambulance attendants quickly hooked up an iv and took Luke's vitals as they raced to the hospital.

"Is Luke going to be okay? He needs to be okay." Cassie kept repeating, her breathing shallow and head spinning.

"I don't know..." Officer Charles was trying to remember her name, if he even knew it.

"Cassie. Cassie Martin."

"Well, Cassie, I can tell you he's been through a lot, but he's a fighter. He's strong."

The hospital was confusing and busy and no one would tell Cassie anything. She was treated for a few scrapes and given something for shock, but otherwise she was fine, in body anyway. In spirit, she was broken.

"Luke, Luke Cavanaugh," she told the lady at the desk again. "He came in with me in an ambulance. Could you please tell me how he is?"

"Sorry, I can't, you aren't his next of kin."

"He doesn't have a next of kin. He's a ward of the court, or was I guess."

"I'm sorry, but I can't release any information."

Cassie could almost scream in frustration, but when she turned, she saw a police officer.

"Excuse me, Officer, I was brought in with Luke Cavanaugh in an ambulance. Officer Charles escorted us. Could you help me, please?"

After talking into his radio for a second, he turned back to her, "Come with me." He took her further back in the hospital, past the busy emergency department to a different waiting area. Officer Charles was sitting with another man, holding hands.

"Steve, she was asking for you."

Cassie couldn't contain herself, "How's Luke? They wouldn't tell me anything. I can't just leave with him here, he has no one and I can't stand not knowing." Tears are rolling down her cheeks.

"He's pretty bad Cassie. There's some internal bleeding, so he's in surgery right now. Please have a seat." Officer Charles offered her the seat next to him.

"Thanks," she said as she collapsed into the chair, utterly exhausted but still on edge.

"This is Bryan, he was Luke's caseworker and is his friend."

"You're the reason he's studying social work," Cassie said, making the connection. "I'm Cassie, Luke and I are friends. We work together at the diner and study together sometimes."

Bryan looked at Cassie and he wanted to reveal that he knew who she was, but he couldn't. It wasn't his secret to tell, and as worried as he was it pleased him to no end that she so obviously cared. "It's really nice to meet you Cassie. If you know about me, then you must be a close friend of Luke's. He plays his cards close to his chest, if you know what I mean."

"Well, mostly we sit and study together for hours and don't really say anything, but he and I talk more than I've seen him do with anyone else. We share food sometimes and tonight I worked a really long shift and he made me a fantastic dinner." It all seemed like a dream it was so long ago.

"He saved me. They were going to, um, well, rape me, I think." Cassie shuddered at the memory. "Officer Charles, do you think you'll be able to catch them?"

"It won't be me, Cassie. I can't be on the case, and please, call me Steve."

"Why not?" Cassie said indignantly. "Why can't you catch these bastards?"

"Because Bryan is my husband and Luke is like a son to us, really. I mean he spent Christmas Day at our house. I can't be involved with the case, it's not professional."

"But because Luke is basically related to us, Steve's co-workers are really motivated to find them. You'll have to give official statements and things in a little while. They just need to assign someone else to the case," Bryan explained.

"I promise you, someone will be here in a little while. It's just it's New Year's and it's a bad night for policing."

"Not a good night for waitressing either."

Cassie relayed as much of the story as she possibly could, Steve stopping to ask her questions and help her clarify points so that when she gave her official statement she could be as helpful as possible. She only stopped when someone came out in scrubs to address them.

"His internal bleeding has been stopped and nothing vital has been injured beyond repair. He has a lacerated liver and his lung was almost punctured, but the stab wound is just superficial, fortunately. Everything else is cosmetic aside from the head injury. There is some swelling on the brain, but we think it's just a bad concussion, for now he's still unconscious but hopefully he'll wake up soon."


"Will he be okay, Doctor?" Cassie asked, desperate for more information.

"He should be, hopefully, we'll know more when he wakes up."

"They can't give us any assurances, Cassie, that's the way head injuries work," Steve explains.

"Can we see him?"

"As soon as we get him to a room. Right now he's in recovery. Probably another half hour or so."

"Poor Luke, it's not fair, this is all my fault."

"Cassie, it's not your fault some idiots got drunk and decided to do terrible things."

"If I had just..."

"If you had just nothing, Cassie. None of this is your fault."

"I just don't know what to do."

"There's nothing you can do right now. Just wait. When the officers come to talk to you tell them everything you told us. And be there for Luke, if you can."

"I promise I'll be there for Luke."

Cassie woke up cramped and in an arm chair after only a few hours of sleep. Beside her was Luke, face bruised and beaten, two new rows of stitches crossing areas where there already were scars. His ears were devoid of his usual piercings because of the x-rays, and he looked so very pale. The institutional smell of cleaners and an underlying odour of illness hung in the room, adding to the despair. Luke wasn't awake and hadn't been for over six hours now. His body was laying in the same position they rolled him into the room in. Different monitors and sensors were affixed to his body, leaving him exposed and vulnerable. Cassie knew Luke would hate this, his scars visible for all to see, and there were scars. His chest was peppered with them. He had a light coating of hair in the centre of his chest and around his dark pink nipples, a few freckles and the rest of the marks weren't natural—pink and red scar tissue. Some were burns others were cuts, but they were numerous and it was shocking evidence to Cassie as to what kind of childhood Luke must have faced. Adding to it were deep purple bruises along his ribs and both his eyes were so swollen that it might not even be possible for Luke to open them when he did wake up.

She held his hand and cried. His fingers were long and thin, calloused from hard work, dry from the constant washing as a cook, and it felt wonderful in her hand. He had small scars on his fingers too, but Cassie figured they were from food prep. She studied the tattoos on his knuckles—the hand she was holding read 'hope' but was done poorly, like someone who was fooling around with a ballpoint pen and some pushpins. Luke's nails were well taken care of—clean, like a cook's should be, and trimmed short, and they were just another indicator of how well put together Luke was, and how much Cassie wanted him to recover. She fought the urge to kiss his hand or run her hand up his arm, instead she stared at him and willed him to be better.

The new officer assigned to the case had come shortly after Luke was moved to a room. Steve and Bryan sat with Cassie while she relayed everything from the evening before. They had taken photos of the scene and prints from her car already, but there wasn't much evidence in the parking lot—the knife was gone. There were no real leads, but the police were going to look into social media to see if any of the photos the one attacker took ended up on line somewhere.

There was movement from Luke's bed. It wasn't much, but she was sure his foot moved. Cassie carefully leaned over Luke to press the call button, and she was sure she heard something; a rasp, different than his raspy breath, a timber to it akin to talking.

Luke could feel something besides pain. He could smell something besides the stench of the hospital. He couldn't speak, but he could open his eyes a fraction and saw...a blur, a cheek? hair? Cassie?

Cassie leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Luke, are you awake? Can you hear me?"

He squeezed her hand and she was elated. He was satisfied that she was okay and confused why she was there, but happy and comforted that she was.

The nurse entered, "What is it?"

"He's awake. He squeezed my hand."

"I'll get a doctor right away."

Cassie dialled Bryan immediately. "He's awake, he squeezed my hand!"

A few hours later, Luke was talking slowly, the effort painful. His head injury was such that he didn't remember much beyond around ten o'clock the night before and he ached worst than any hangover. He remembered the salmon and some of the orders he made, but there was nothing about the attackers at all.

"It figures. I do something heroic, I have no memory of it."

Cassie was still holding his hand, so he liked that part of everything at least, but he didn't like feeling exposed and helpless. He wished he could pull the sheet higher, although the fact that she didn't seem bothered by the way he looked was something positive.

"Can I get you anything, Luke? Just name it."

"Clothes." He hated hospital robes.

"Sure. They cut the ones you were wearing off. I can get clean ones from your place."

Luke nodded, at least where he lived wouldn't be a surprise for her.

"Okay, I need to change and shower, too. I'll get you some stuff. Do I need a key?"

"Yeah, in the drawer. Number 4."

"I'll drive you, Cassie," Steve offered.

"And I'll stay with Luke until you return," Bryan suggested.

"Thanks." Cassie was relieved to have help and that Luke wouldn't be alone. She stood to leave and Luke's hand was suddenly very empty. He tried not to look too crestfallen. "We'll be back soon. I promise."

"So that's 'the mystery girl, Cassie'?" Bryan asked after the door closed.

"Yes." Luke tried to nod, but it caused stars to form and his head to ache.

"You know, you could have just introduced her to us," Bryan said, smiling. "She's nice."

"I know." Luke thought for a second, "Is she really unhurt?"

"Aside from a few scrapes and bruises, yes."

"Good." He closed his eyes to rest.

"She didn't leave your side all night." Luke considered what Bryan said, liking the implication.